Nuclear Energy and the Environment
In our society, nuclear energy has become one of the most criticized formsof energy by the environmentalists. Thus, a look at nuclear energy and theenvironment and its impact on economic growth. Lewis Munford, an analyst, once wrote, "Too much energy is as fatal as toolittle, hence the regulation of energy input and output not its unlimitedexpansion, is in fact one of the main laws of life." This is true when dealingwith nuclear power. Because our societies structure and processes both dependupon energy, man is searching for the most efficient and cheapest form of energythat can be used on a long term basis. And because we equate power with growth,the more energy that a country uses, - the greater their expected economicgrowth. The problem is that energy is considered to have two facets or parts:it is a major source of man-made repercussions as well as being the basis oflife support systems. Therefore, we are between two sections in which one is thesection of "resource availability and waste", and the other "the continuity oflife support systems pertinent to survival." Thus, the environmentalists believe that nuclear energy should not be
oil,natural gas and coal, are only temporary, in dealing with surplus, and give offmore pollution with less economic growth. Because the energy technology that society employs directly influences thequantity and quality of life, the energy option that is chosen should have thegreatest cost- benefit effectiveness as well as maximizing flexibility andpurchases. On the other hand, some business men and economists say that the presentconditions should be kept intact, as the other forms of energy, e. It is unethical, and inferior to non-fission futuresthat enhance survival for humans, alive and yet to be born, and nature, with allits living entities. It will cost thetaxpayers far more than they are currently paying for electricity. Secondly, petroleum gives off carbon monoxide which is one ofthe reasons for ozone depletion; whereas, the uranium does not give offpollution except that it produces plutonium which needs to be buried for morethan fifty years to get rid of its radiation. Finally, because so much of thepetroleum will be required to power the vast area that nuclear energy can cover,the cost to us as the consumer would be massive! This would mean slowereconomic growth and/or expansion, especially when compared to nuclear energy. I say this because, first of all,there is a major supply of uranium considering it was one of the last energysources to be found as well as only a small amount of it is required to producea lot of energy. It should also be noted that some plants are canceled during construction,which can raise the cost up to several billion dollars. New plants usuallysupply substantially more energy than the area requires; meaning that theconsumer will be paying for this waste of energy, which is cost per kilowatthour. ) Albert Schweitzer, an ecologist wrote, nuclear power "threatens the presentand forecloses the future. It should also be noted that there is also asharp jump in consumer costs when the plants are turned on to pay for theconstruction costs, plant manufacturers or other loan sources, plus interest. Finally, theenvironmentalists claim that if society wastes less energy, and develops themeans to use the energy more efficiency, then there would be a definite decreasein the requirement for more energy producing plants. " Therefore, in conclusion, it is clearly evident whynuclear energy should be abandoned, even though it may be considered aseconomically sound, and that we should concentrate more on conservation andquality rather than expansion as we have done in the past. " Two examples were then given of Chernobyl and Three Mile Island, in 1979,when thousands of people were killed and incapacitated.
Common topics in this essay:
Ceribus Paribus,
Mile Island,
Lewis Munford,
Albert Schweitzer,
Energy Environment,
nuclear energy,
economic growth,
nuclear power,
life support systems,
nuclear energy environment,
energy environment,
please refer,
acres land,
ceribus paribus,
growth energy,
form energy,
forms energy,
|
Acceptance Essays
